Coffin-protector.



No. 696,707. Patented Apr. I, I902.

S. L. BLACK 8:. H. R. BUNKER. CUFFIN PROTECTOR.

(Application fi1 sd Aug. 19, 1901.)

m aamm 5 NITED Srnrns Ariana union.

SAMUEL L. BLACK AND IIOLLIS P. BUNKER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

COFFI bi -PROTECTOR.

SEIEOIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 696,707, dated April 1, 1902. Application filed August 19, 1901. Serial No. 72,563. (No model.)

T0 to whom 2175 may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL L. BLACK and HoLLIs P. BUNKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffin-Protectors; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide simple, inexpensive, and effective means for preventing grave-robbing, or at least render the perpetration of this ofience difficult and hazardous, and therefore generally unprofitable. This we accomplish by providing a protective construction, substantiallyas hereinafter described, about the coflin or casket, which shall be difficult and tedious to remove. Incidentally we provide means to prevent the crushing of the coffin or casket by the Weight of the superposed earth filling the grave.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view.- Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line a; to, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail in section and on a larger scale of one of the locking devices for the upper protective frame. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the same locking device, taken on line y y, Fig. 4.

In the views, 1 denotes anchor bolts that have attached to their lower ends circular disks 1. At the upper ends of those bolts are secured a longitudinal bar 2 and cross bars 2, having their ends bent downwardly and inwardly to form hooks or stops, as indicated at 3.

4 designates a lock-case having a vertical opening 4: accessible at its upper end, and at its lower end a horizontal opening 4?, the latter of such dimensions as to just permit the hook ends of the bars 2 and 2 to be passed through it. When the lock-cases are put and secured in place, the hooks 3 constitute stops to prevent the removal of the lower ends of such lock-cases. Located in seats in opposite sides of the upper portion of the lockcase are two small bolts 5, having inclined ends, and behind the bolts are springs 5,

tending to project the endsof the bolts into the vertical opening 4:.

The coffin or burial-case rests upon the frame comprised of the bars 2 and 2, and to prevent the removal of such coffin or case we provide a frame composed of a longitudinal bar 6 and cross-bars 6 all bent down at their ends to form legs 7 and 7. The lower ends of these legs are made with serrations forming recesses 8 and 8 in their opposite edges. The bars 6 and 6 of the upper or protective frame are so located with respect to each other that their downwardly-extending legs can be pushed into the vertical openings of the several lock-cases 4 until each leg rests upon the bar of the bottom frame. The entire top frame is therefore supported upon the bottom frame, and we propose that the legs of the top frame shall be of such length as to afford considerable space between the top of the inclosed coffin or casket for the purpose hereinafter explained.

From an inspection of Fig. 4 it will be observed that each of the recesses 8 above the uppermost teeth on the legs of the protective frame has its upper side angular with a small horizontal portion 8 and that the upper horizontal edge of the bolt or dog stands squarely across the space between the leg and the lockcase, rendering it impracticable to manipulate the bolt with an instrument inserted in the vertical space at the side of the leg. Therefore when the legs of the protective frame have been once properly inserted in the lock-cases it will be impracticable to speedily remove the frame. As it is proposed to make the bars comprising the protective frame of hard steel any attempt to cut them would consume so much time or require such expensive tool as to render the undertaking hazardous and unprofitable to those illegitimately undertaking this.

When a grave is filled in, it oftentimes happens that the superposed earth crushes in the coffin or casket. To preclude this, we provide a cover constructed of four sections 9 9 and 9 9, each section inclosing one upper corner of the coffin or casket and having their inner edges lapping. The sections 9 9 are shown to have catches 10, so located that they can be turned hook over or engage the bars of the protective frame and therefore suspend the said sections above the coffin or casket. If the inner edges of one pair of the sections be lapped on the upper sides of the other, catches 10 in one pair will suffice to suspend both pairs. To make the four sections adjustable to cover several sizes of coffin, one pair of the sections can be notched out, as seen at 11, Fig. 1. In practice the sections 9 9 and 9" 9 will of course be placed over the coffin or casket before the protective frame heretofore described is locked in place and subsequently lifted to and secured in their proper position before the grave is filled. These sections not only subserve their function of sustaining the Weight of the imposed filling, but also render more troublesome any attempt to rob the grave. The anchors first described effectually prevent the removal bodily of the casket or coffin while inclosed in the top and bottom frames, nor can the lock-cases be slipped off the bars of the bottom frame while the legs of the upper protective frame are engaged with said lockcases.

The numberof bars in the top and bottom frames can be increased and other changes made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What We claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a coffin-protector, a bottom frame, lock-cases thereon having automatically-operative bolts therein, and a top or protecting frame composed of horizontal bars with downwardly bent legs integral with said bars whereby said legs can be simultaneously inserted and locked in said lock-cases.

2. In a coffin-protector, a bottom frame composed of bars having stops at their ends,

' lock-cases adapted to be placed on said bars beyond such stops, and a top or protecting frame having downwardly-extending legs integral with such top frame to enter and be secured in. such lock-cases.

3. Inacoffin-protector, a bottom frame, anchoring-bolts therefor extending below said frame, lock-cases on the bottom frame, and a suspending such sections from the protectingframe, substantially as described.

6. In a coffin-protector, a top or protecting frame adapted to be supported above the top of the coffin, and an earth-supporting shield composed of lapping sections adjustable upon each other, with means for suspending such sections from the protecting-frame, substantially as described.

7. In a coffin-protector, a bottom frame, and a top or protectingframe having downwardlyextending recessed legs, and a lock-case. to receive such leg having an automatically-operative bolt formed to enter a recess in the leg and bridge squarely the space between the leg and lock-case for the purpose explained.

8. In a coffin-protector, a bottom frame composed of longitudinal and cross bars having downwardly-turned ends to form hooks, lock-cases perforated horizontally to be placed on said hooked endsand recessed vertically and provided with automatic catches, a top or protecting frame com posed of longitudinal and cross bars having downwardly-bent ends to enter and be secured by the automatic catches in the lock-cases, and means for anchoring the bottom frame, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL L. BLACK. HOLLIS P. BUNKER.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. W. ALFRED, GEO. M. FINCKEL. 

